The gnome behind the counter looks at them apologetically.
âWe only have one room with two beds leftâ, he says.
Thajili smiles down at him.
âThat wonât be a problem. Weâll take it!â
She pays for the room and helps Tarak carry Balasar up the stairs. Minoe sometimes wonders how she ended up with the four tallest people on this entire continent. She is not particularly weak, but she could never in her life carry any of her companions up a flight of stairs. Sometimes she wonders if she looks completely ridiculous in their middle, the tiny tiefling cleric surrounded by giant Dragonborn, Aasimar, Firbolgs and Orcs.
âHelp me push the beds togetherâ, Lulu says as soon as they have entered the small room. There is nothing much inside it, but at least itâs clean. Minoe helps Lulu with the beds and Tarak gently puts Balasar down on the mattress.
âIâm sorry, but Iâm completely tappedâ, she says and watches as Thajili carefully touches his forehead to feel his temperature.
âItâll be fine, I can take care of itâ, Lulu says and without further comment they climb up onto the beds and get close to their unconscious companion. Balasarâs black scales are gleaming with sweat and his breathing is heavy.
Thajili gets undressed and Minoe watches her, forgetting for a moment that sheâs supposed to get her healerâs kit to help patch Tarak up.
âLoveâ, Thajili says with an amused smile. âThe bandages?â
âHm? Oh. Sorryâ, she says and starts rummaging through her backpack. Lulu has put their hands on Balasarâs chest and Minoe knows that theyâre about to overexert themselves. While she takes out her healerâs kit she keeps glancing at Thajili cleaning herself as thorough as possible with a bowl of water and a sponge.
âThe next week we are just going to lay low and do nothingâ, Minoe says.
âTell that to all those criminals out thereâ, Tarak says with a lopsided smirk as she sits down, so Minoe can actually reach the deep cuts on her shoulder.
âLulu is over-exerting themself, you look like shit and Balasar was just poisoned, I think we should take some time offâ, Minoe insists. Before Tarak can start arguing there is a gasp over by the beds and Balasar wakes up with a shudder.
âFirbolgs are heavyâ, he immediately complains. Lulu snorts and gives him a kiss on the forehead.
âShut up. Youâre a giant lizard, I will not hear complaints about my weight.â
âIâm your patient. Be nice to me.â
âThen stop whining, you useless gecko.â
Balasar and Lulu start bickering on the bed and Minoe sighs. Thajili grins at her.
âWeâll take time offâ, she says gently.
They take care of Tarakâs wounds together and only a few minutes after the bickering on the bed has stopped does Minoe realize that Balasar and Lulu have simply fallen asleep. Balasar is on his back, one arm around Lulu who is snuggled close to his side with one of their long legs thrown over his lap.
âWouldnât it be lovely if they were always this peacefulâ, Tarak says with a deadpan look at them and Thajili chuckles.
âGet on there, you oafâ, she says and pushes Tarak over to the bed. She gets on the bed and without another word she gets as close to Lulu as possible to make room for Thajili and Minoe.
Thajili doesnât bother to put on any clothes. She lifts Minoe up as if she weighs nothing and carries her over to the bed with a bright smile.
âTiny clerics sleep in the middleâ, she says and Minoe splutters but doesnât struggle as she is thrown down on the bed to cuddle close to Tarakâs wide shoulders and muscular back.
Thajili looks at all of them with a look so fond that it makes Minoeâs heart flutter in her chest. Two blankets are carefully draped over them before Thajili climbs into bed with them.
âThis is the worst relationship Iâve ever been inâ, Tarak mumbles.
âLiarâ, Thajili whispers and Minoe can hear the grin in her voice.
âItâs sleep timeâ, Minoe says as strictly as sheâs able to. She knows that a stern tone never really works for her, but both Tarak and Thajili indulge her and stop bickering.
Minoe listens to all their breathing before she finally falls asleep as well.
